ICC withdraws Asad Rauf from Champions Trophy

The ICC has withdrawn Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf from the Champions Trophy, that is set to start next month, after media reports linked Rauf to the spot-fixing scandal. Asad Rauf has been umpiring in the T20-League games and is under investigation by the Mumbai Police.

"In the wake of reports that the Mumbai Police are conducting an investigation into Asad Rauf's activities, we feel that it is in Asad's best interests as well as those of the sport and the event itself, that he is withdrawn from participating in the ICC Champions Trophy," said Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive.

Zaka Ashraf, the PCB Chairman, said on Times Now that the umpires do not come under the control of PCB and added that it was an issue with the T20-League, and not Pakistan.

"I don't know if Asad Raud has done anything wrong or not, because I don't have any information. I'm just hearing the news about Rauf. All I can say is that he neither went to India with our permission nor is he coming back with our permission. The PCB is not involved in this umpiring-issues. I don't know why things are not being tightened or managed properly in the T20-League. If something is wrong, it is something to do with the T20-League and not us. A lot of mud-slinging and other issues are cropping up so it is a wake-up call for the T20-League management."

The PCB chairman also added that the PCB will have a board meeting and bring in a vigilance system which includes officials like umpires and match referees.

"As far as PCB is concerned, we're going to have a board meeting and new rules are coming up. Umpires, referees are going to come into our domain. Whoever is a Pakistani will have to sign a contract now and there will be a vigilance system. Until now, umpires and referees are not in our domain but we're going to bring them in now. This thing has happened in India and not in Pakistan, so it is an issue for the T20-League management."